Beyond the Bid: How Modern Estimating Solutions Drive Contractor Success

August 18, 2025

By Brooke Stewart

In today’s fast-paced construction landscape, electrical contractors are constantly pressured to keep their estimates competitive, often at the expense of healthy profit margins. Compounding this challenge are rising material costs, a shortage of skilled labor and siloed data, all of which make it increasingly difficult to stay competitive and financially stable. 

Many contractors are discovering that a key to sustained success lies in taking a more strategic approach to estimating, which includes the use of digital estimating solutions. Modern estimating software is transforming the bidding process, helping contractors make the entire estimating lifecycle more streamlined and efficient.  From digital takeoff, cloud and subscription models and interconnected material supplier networks, to change order management and integration with other project and financial management tools, modern estimating solutions are dramatically improving the speed, accuracy and strategic insight for today’s electrical contractors.

But there are a wide variety of estimating solutions available, making it difficult to know where to start. Below are a few capabilities to look for when selecting an estimating solution that will best fit your needs.

Digital Take Off and Value Engineering

Best-in-class software solutions like Trimble’s Accubid Anywhere leverage digital takeoff capabilities to improve estimating. Powered by Trimble LiveCount, which uses AI functionality to automatically detect and count thousands of symbols on construction drawings, it can save contractors from hours of manual, repetitive and time-consuming tasks during takeoff. For example, the ability to automatically detect and count different types of fixtures, receptacles and switches,  the most common electrical items on blueprints, helps electrical contractors create estimates faster, easier and more accurately.

In addition, built-in intelligence and intuitive interfaces guide users through the estimating process, maximizing speed, minimizing errors and accelerating the learning curve for newer team members. From this data, value engineering can help contractors conduct “what if” scenarios and make quick changes to recompute estimates. This ability to compare multiple scenarios quickly is virtually impossible with spreadsheets or manual estimating processes, enabling contractors to present cost-saving alternatives and differentiate themselves without solely relying on price reductions.

Cloud-Hosted and Secure

Many modern estimating solutions are cloud-hosted, which means they’re accessible anytime, anywhere from any device with an internet connection. There is no need for local on-premise servers or complex IT infrastructure leading to cost savings and limiting the need for in-house IT resources. Instead, electrical contractors can use them via a phone, tablet or desktop, providing enhanced mobility and ease of use.

Access to the cloud also means that data is secure and backed up in case of ransomware and other threats. Users automatically get the latest features, bug fixes, and code updates, and access is permission-controlled and scoped by a user’s role, ensuring only the right people have access to certain data.

Scalable Subscription Models

A notable shift in the market has seen traditional solutions like Trimble’s Accubid Classic and other estimating solutions evolve their licensing models, moving toward subscription-based product suites. Subscriptions enable lower upfront costs involved as users typically pay annually rather than a large lump sum all at once. They also enhance scalability, so companies to easily add or remove users as a team grows or shrinks and only pay for what they need

Large Distributor Network and Integrated Access to Data

Unlike systems that may be limited to a single supplier relationship, modern estimating providers have extensive digital networks of distributors, providing access to hundreds of suppliers with the click of a button. With a wider array of options, contractors can identify the most cost-effective materials without sacrificing quality, directly impacting the bottom line. These direct supplier connections can also provide insights into purchasing history and real-time material pricing.

For example, Trimble Supplier Xchange, a digital supplier pricing solution, currently enables more than 10,000 digital connections between contractors and their preferred suppliers, and handles an average of 130,000 quote requests per month, with an average quote value of $18 billion USD per month.

Connected Workflows

Estimates generate a high volume of valuable data that should be analyzed and used in other workflows, but this data often gets trapped in the estimating system. The ability to share this data through APIs or automatic integrations with other construction software systems greatly enhances efficiency, accuracy and data-driven decision making throughout the project’s lifecycle and across the company’s operations.

With connected workflows, data from estimating seamlessly integrates with other project stages such as customer relationship management (CRM), project management, and financial management, which are typically executed through ERPs. This interconnectedness eliminates data duplication, reduces manual errors, and provides a single source of truth for all project-related information. The result is improved accuracy, greater efficiency, and a clearer understanding of project profitability from conception to completion. These advances ensure that the wealth of information generated during estimating is not siloed, but actively contributes to smarter, more agile construction management.

Beau Brenno, director of business Intelligence and artificial Intelligence at Hunt Electric, a national electrical design, build, and maintenance firm based in Minnesota, experienced the benefits of this approach firsthand. “Accubid Anywhere APIs allow us to see who created projects and estimates, along with where and when they were created for a better understanding of our bids. We are in the process of connecting those estimates to the jobs they become to compare how we estimated versus how the job was executed. This gives us much greater insight into where the estimate went right, where it went wrong and how we can improve estimates in the future,” said Brenno.

Today’s digital estimating solutions provide a powerful combination of accuracy, mobility, and efficiency for today’s electrical contractors. From digital takeoff powered by AI, to cloud-based functionality that’s secure and scalable, modern estimating solutions help contractors win more bids at the right margins. They also streamline the bid-to-build process and strengthen decision-making at every stage of the project lifecycle. Adopting these solutions are critical for enabling electrical contractors to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced construction environment, helping to ensure their long-term profitability and success.

About the author: Brooke Stewart is Director, Product Management, Trimble Construction Management Solutions. For more information, visit trimble.com/en/products/trimble-accubid-anywhere.